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Hurricane Cindy (1999)
Hurricane Cindy was the third named storm, the second hurricane, and the second major hurricane of the 1999 Atlantic hurricane season. Cindy developed from a tropical wave that moved off the African coast on August 18, and it almost immediately became a tropical depression upon emerging off Africa. Cindy moved west, west-northwest, then eventually recurved to the northeast, never affecting land. Cindy peaked as a 140 mph Category 4 hurricane. Cindy dissipated on August 31 as it merged with an extratropical cyclone about 850 miles west of the Azores. No damage or deaths were reported in association with Cindy. Hurricane Cindy as a Category 4 hurricane https://archive.is/20130625152836/img218.imageshack.us/img218/3877/hurricanecindyoh0.png Formation August 19, 1999 Dissipation August 31, 1999 Highest winds 140 mph Lowest pressure 942 mbar Deaths None reported Damages None Areas affected None Meteorological History https://archive.is/20130625152909/img221.imageshack.us/img221/5151/cindytrackzz3.png A tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa on August 18. After it entered the Atlantic Ocean, deep convection gradually became better organized, and on August 18, satellite imagery as well as ship reports indicated that the shower and thunderstorm activity associated with the wave became more concentrated around a broad center of circulation. It is estimated that Tropical Depression Four formed from this wave at 0000 UTC on August 19, while located about 250 miles east-southeast of the Cape Verde Islands. Because of persistent 20-30 knot vertical wind shear, the depression initially failed to organize significantly. By the afternoon of August 20, shear relaxed, and the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Cindy, as the deep convection became co-located with the center of circulation. After becoming a tropical storm, Cindy continued to strengthen more, as banding features and a CDO became established over the system. At 0000 UTC on August 22, Cindy became a hurricane, while located about 390 miles west of the Cape Verde Islands. Shear once again picked up, thus preventing any more intensification of the hurricane. At 1800 UTC on August 22, Cindy weakened to a tropical storm. By the afternoon of August 25, shear abated and Cindy became a hurricane again at 0000 UTC on August 26, while centered about 1100 miles southeast of Bermuda. During the next several days, Cindy continued to intensify, with banding features became more pronounced and outflow improved as well. On the morning of August 27, a ragged eye appeared in visible satellite imagery, and by the afternoon of August 27, a 25 mile-wide banding-type eye became evident over Cindy's circulation center. Cindy continued to intensify, and it reached its peak of 140 mph at 1200 UTC on August 28, while located about 375 miles east-southeast of the island of Bermuda. During the next two days, Cindy began to weaken again, due to an increase is west, then southwesterly wind shear. The overall cloud pattern degenerated and the eye also became unidentifiable, the cloud tops warmed, and then finally the deep convection became displaced to the north and eventually main east of Cindy's circulation center. For the first five days of its life, Cindy moved west-northwest. From late on August 24 through August 26, this motion changed to northwesterly. This motion was because Cindy was under the influence of the subtropical ridge to the north. On August 27, a mid to upper-level low southwest of Cindy steered Cindy more towards the west. Late on August 27, a trough began to pull Cindy to the northwest, then to the north. On August 29, Cindy began to turn to the northeast, and on August 30, it began to accelerate. Cindy's closest approach to Bermuda occured at 0600 UTC on August 29. At 0600 UTC on August 31, Cindy weakened back to a tropical storm for the last time, as Cindy continued northeast into progressively cooler waters. By the afternoon of August 31, Cindy became unidentifiable as it merged with an extratropical cyclone about 850 miles west of the Azores. Lack of Retirement Because there was no damage, the name Cindy was not retired in the Spring of 2000 by the World Meteorological Organization. It was used again in 2005, and is on the list of names to be used for the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season. See Also 1999 Atlantic hurricane season * NHC Cindy report References http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_Atlantic_hurricane_season http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/1999cindy.html